Nature
by ginguy
Summary: W.5; Drabble. In all journeys, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Rukia's surprise to her friends after a long hike in the forest.


**Author's note:**

**I thought this was a little short but I liked it short. I really didn't want to add anything more since my point in writing this was to describe nature really. I'm a big nature fan, always did, so writing this meant a lot to me even if it was short. I tried my best to describe well again, even with the length. **

**I don't say this often, and I think this is the first I've said it, but I just really want to say thanks to everyone who have read my stories before and continue to read it, I honestly do appreciate it. I think the comments that I get just inspire me to write more and write better. I don't comment or reply back to others, but to those who read my shorts and drabbles and have commented, thank you so much. I don't want to come off as a snobby person because I don't reply back, but I truly appreciate everyone who read my works. Its truly inspiring. **

**Thank you. **

**Here's Nature.**

* * *

_"Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books"_ - John Lubbock

A large oak tree stood royally among its kind in the deep trenches of the labyrinth, its branches extending out to the other end of the forest. The thing had a lot of arms with it, so did its feet as they delved in what seemed to be a bottomless pit of mud and dirt and all kinds of things. The soil was rich in ebony colour and smelled of saccharine when picked up by hand and held close to the nose. Fertile. The forest was home to things like the house is home to humans. Things like growing plants that would soon turn into its adolescence in a couple of decades and eventually into those giant, superlative trees, things like small insects and bugs that build colonies for their empires, flying birds that find solace and sanctuary in branches and land animals that were comforted by the abundance of food, shelter and endless company. Perhaps if humans were conscious and intelligent enough to perceive this very land as a refuge, a haven, a form of protection, but most importantly, a home to other living things, the world would be in a much better place. But this issue of environment is not so focused here. Bad things, negative aspects and scary consequences are not to be discussed today. Today, is a day of pretty and positive things.

An arm flung its way near the pretty boy's face, about a few inches far from the man's straight nose, to his keen purple eyes and down to the clear, shininess of his neck that now became more exposed as the branch of the tree sliced the ends of his front hair. He widened his eyes as he blinked in a gazed view at the branch. Holding his hands close to him in disgust, he remained close to his partner and long-term friend, the bald – less-haired, sorry – rambunctious, lively fighter. Oh the compatibility of those two. Opposites attract could not get any more true when it saw the relationship of these two combatants. His counterpart swung his arms with his wooden sword – wooden, because it is undoubtedly illegal to be bringing real swords in the world of the living – against the thick wood surrounding them, the endless number of branches gutting out from trees annoying him that caused his grunting much harsher and more aggressive.

"Damn this, Rukia! I thought you said we were gonna find it!" his short temper obviously did not get better. He shouted back at the small-framed girl walking beside her well-endowed friend. Luckily, she had a shield: Renji Abarai, the six foot two red headed childhood friend who protected her incoming twigs and…other things. The lady beside her went by the name of Rangiku Matsumoto. To describe her beautiful was clearly…an understatement. She was stunning and exquisite with dazzle and charm and such youth in her face that any man who never took notice of her…well, that man does not exist.

She walked alongside the noble girl behind Ikkaku Madarame, who served as a front liner in making a way for them through the woodland that lacked a pathway or any kind of service for hikers at all.

"This is the way guys. Promise" she calmly spoke out, wandering her eyes in all sorts of places, from the crusted bark that hung from branches to the small brown nest of leaves and dried mud and twigs up high, occupied by unusually large eggs.

"Ugh" whined Yumichika.

"This is just disgusting and gross and I don't want to be near it at all." He shivered, his spine feeling that sharp tingle that wavered through his entire body. He stuck out his tongue repulsion as his feet felt the smooth and slimy texture of something on the ground. He hoped it wasn't manure.

His eyes grew as he spotted an orange fox ducking his head beneath shrubbery in evaluating them, some new faces he's encountering.

"_Some weird looking beings," _the fox must have thought, because he remained fixed in the same position for quite a while.

Matsumoto slapped her arm as she killed a mosquito that thirsted for her blood, now flattened by the palm of her hand.

"Rangiku, I told you to dress appropriately for the hike. Mosquitos here are gonna come after you," the tall man retorted, laying his hand on Kuchiki's shoulder.

"I know, but I just look so good in these clothes! You know…a girl always has to look her sexiest in case of an incoming boy," she winked at him playfully, causing his brows to furrow. What was he thinking, telling her to dress _appropriately. _He already went through this with her that time they visited the world of the living into Ichigo Kurosaki's school. The unbuttoned blouse that left the top of her breasts wide open, bobbing up and down as she strolled down the hallway, not to mention the exposure of her thighs because of the school skirt she had to wear. Pfft, standard uniforms. She wouldn't listen to him any ways.

Rukia smiled to herself as they continued walking, the loudness of Ikkaku's voice getting stronger and stronger as they drifted farther and farther from their starting point, Matsumoto slapping her chest as another bug flew around her and Yumichika whining with his nasal voice.

And as all journeys, there is always light at the end of tunnel.

The swinging of wooden swords and its whooshing sounds, the grunting and the pacing halted completely as the 11th division warriors stood frozen at the incoming barrage of light from the outside.

They stopped with her and stood in unison.

"That's it," the short girl breathed, curling the right side of her lip upwards and ran frantically towards the light of the tunnel.

"Rukia! Wait!" Renji's arms extended out in hopes to catch her and when he failed, chased after her, the rest behind him.

"Rukia! Where are you going? Where are you?" Ikkaku jogged as he squinted his eyes in hopes of finding the girl after she disappeared into the ray of light, leaving them behind.

The thorns of roses and flowers prickled their feet as they ran, obscuring their eyes with their arms as they held them in front of their faces for protection from leaves and the swinging of branches. Renji could hear the panting of his comrades behind him, holding Yumichika's wrist to lead them into the light.

Their feet swelled a bit in pain after a sudden decision in running after Rukia, and they all heavily as they reached the end of the journey, their hands resting on their thighs as breathing became labour.

"What was that for?!" yelled the pretty face.

"Yeah, Rukia! I thought we were going to get killed out there! You left us!" his partner joined.

She didn't say anything as her arms crossed together with the same smirk she always carried with her. The warm breeze flowing past her that caused her hair to dance with the wind.

They walked closer to her as she turned around and looked down at the view, pointing her finger out into the distance. Her friends encountered the scene in gaped mouths as grins on their faces were so large, smiling seemed to hurt.

She pointed to a close distance of the waterfall beneath the cliff, white water that flowed past down into gray and black boulders, the rushing sound of the falling water that echoed through the mountains and cliffs. Underneath was the green pond, filled with moss in the bottom. Surrounding it was green lush grass, freshly cut asymmetrically by deer and a family of squirrels gathering fallen nuts of the chestnut trees. The clouds were gone, and sky was blue, like the colour of the stream falling down from the waterfall as it flowed calmly down into the forest for water and shelter. The shades of green found in the deep dark hearth of the woodland as spring has arrived. The rebirth, regeneration, and awakening of flowers and plants to greet the day and the new season 'hello'. They sat by the cliff in viewing the pretty scene and breathed the fresh scent of Christmas trees and other things.

This was nature.


End file.
